Music is an art and a craft. And, for a performing artist it’s an art and a craft that must be practiced; physically, emotionally and spiritually engaged with- if the music is to live and the artist is to grow.

Between the beginning of 1971 and the early part of 1974 Eric Clapton who had become rock music royalty and widely acknowledged as a guitar god after his work with The Yardbirds, John Mayall, Cream, Delaney and Bonnie and Derek and The Dominoes was not practicing his art and craft.

Instead he was holed up in Hurtwood Edge, his luxurious hideaway in rural Surrey, seemingly having abandoned his talent and career in pursuit of the oblivion provided by alcohol and heroin. As is the way with addicts wasted days became wasted weeks became wasted months became wasted years.

His life and his career was saved from this tragic torpor through…

It took president Mr Jacob Zuma seven years to visit the Kruger National Park to experience the devastating effect of rhino poaching first-hand.

Although Zuma had been in Kruger before, this weekend was the first time he was there for the sole purpose of familiarising himself with the extent of rhino poaching and the efforts being undertaken to curb the massacre.

Conservation experts are concerned that government is not doing enough to curb poaching. Zuma tried to put the critics at ease, saying that he personally came to Kruger “to demonstrate the highest level of commitment by South Africa to address this challenge”.

Zuma met with ranges in Kruger.

On Sunday, he witnessed the darting of a rhino cow for the purpose of relocation, visited a rhino-poaching crime scene, partook in a wreath-lying ceremony for SANParks rangers, unveiled the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) and addressed communities bordering Kruger, urging them…

I’ve read thousands of “page ones.” Very often I don’t read page two.

Sometimes all I read is that first page and I make judgements based on what I see there. As an agent and a reader my practice is that if I’m not connecting with the material I move on–and quickly.

I wish I had time to give writers (and their books) more of a chance but I can tell a lot by one page: sense of dialogue, setting, pace, character, voice, and writing talent–yes, usually all from one page. Five at the most.

So how are you supposed to get us past one page?

6 Tips To Hook A Reader on Page One

1. Learn how to balance what readers need to know vs. what you, as the writer, want to tell us. I can sense a writer who is trying to show off very quickly. It really only takes…